Aquatic device



H. L. ROOT AQUATIC DEVICE Dec. 11, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Aug. 15, 1948 Homer L. Roof IN VENTOR.

H. L. ROOT AQUATIC DEVICE Dec. 11, 1951 2 SX-IEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Aug. 15, 1948 .1 w w R. W R m m L m V a m 5 m M H b Y 4 B 6 am m 3 F r 0 ll I 4 J\ 4 5 M 4 3 6 8 5 w 5 I 6 4 4 I. nu \x H 1 2 m r 2 3 Patented Dec. 11, 1951 OFFICE AQUATIC DEVICE HomerL. Root, Transfer, Pa. 7 Application August 13, 1948, Serial No. 44,082

This invention relates to new and useful immovements in apparatus for walking onwater and the primary object of the present inven tion is to provide a pair of pontoons that receive the feet of a user to permit the said user to walk or float on the surface of a fluid medium.

Another important object of the .presentinvention is to provide water shoes including a pair of floatable skis and embodying novel and improved means for detachably connecting and retaining the same spaced parallel to each other.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pair of foot receiving pontoons and including means permitting forward movement of the same and which means will also restrict the backward movement of the pontoons to enable a user to glide over the surface of a fluid medium without danger of sliding rearwardly or backwardly.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for walking onwater that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, small and compact in structure, neat and attractive in appearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for -which the same is intended Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the present invention and showing the same in use;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the present invention and showing the hand sail removed;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of one of the floats, taken substantially on the plane of section line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a rear elevational view of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a rear elevational view of the hand sail used in conjunction with the present invention; and,

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the plane of section line '|--1 of Figure 5 Referring now to the drawings in detail, whereillfllf fll the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numerals It! and I2 represent, generally, the pontoons or floats that are em- 2 Claims. (Cl. 9-21) all) ployed with the present invention. These floats I9 and 12 are each constructed of any suitable material such as a wooden frame covered by canvas, are of hollow formation, and include tapered, forward end portions l4 which are reinforced by anchoring or attaching plates l6 that receive suitable lines when said floats are being pulled by a boat or the like.

Intermediate the ends of each float, there is provided a pair of spaced parallel, transverse partitions or uprights i8 and which are joined to spaced longitudinal, upright to define a foot receiving compartment 22, the upper end of which is open to permit a user to insert his foot therein to be supported on the bottom wall 24 of the said compartment, see Figure 3. The compartments 22 are so located as to provide the desired balance to the floats so that one ,end of the floats will not extend below the other end thereof to eiTect an oven-tipping action when the floats are in motion.

The bottom portion or V-shaped lower end '26 of the floats I!) and I2 are integrally formed with-depending longitudinal guide keels 28 that will retain the floats on even-keel and which will guide the movement of the said floats. The keels 28 are provided with longitudinal slots 30 forming hand grips whereby the floats may be conveniently carried when not in use.

' Hinged as at 32 to the central portion of eac keel 28, is an inner guide fin or panel 34 and an outer guide fin or panel 36 that will swing rearwardly as the floats are moved forwardly and which will remain substantially perpendicular 'to the keels during the back stroke or rearward frame members which are substantially U-shaped v in form. Cross members 44 are fixed between the legs of the frame members 40 and 42 and adjacent the free ends 46 thereof.

When the frame members are not in use, the same are disposed longitudinally of the floats l0 and I2, and the ends 46 thereof engage rear pockets or recesses 48 in the floats and apertured plates 50 lfixed to the rear ends of the floats, as shown in'Figure 2.

In order to connect the floats I0 and I2 and retain the same spaced parallel to each other,

the ends 46 of one of the frame members, for example member 40, are received in the rear pockets 8 of both floats, and the ends 46 of the remaining frame member, 42, are received in forward pockets or recesses 52 provided in the floats, see Figure 3.

Secured to the undersurface of a seat 54, is a plurality of U-shaped brackets 56 that pivotally engage the web portion of the frame member 40. A pair of spaced parallel, resilient straps 58 are also secured to the undersurface of the seat 64, adjacent the free end thereof and form a seat therebetween that receives the web portion of the frame members 42 when the said frame members are applied for connecting the floats.

The seat 54 is lowered, when not in use, so that l frame 66 that is secured to the strip 62 by a projection 68. The strip 64 is braced to the lower or base side I0 of the triangular frame 60 by a reinforcing strip 12, and a hand grip I4 is fixed to the strip 62.,

A flexible, triangular sheet of material such as canvas or the like 16 is secured at its marginal edges. to the frame 60 and forms together with the frame 68 a hand sail that will move the floats l0 and 12.

In use, the frame 68 is held by a user as shown in Figure 1 with the grip H engaged by one hand of the user, and with one leg of the frame 66 grasped by the remaining hand of the user..

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it

.is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims. I Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an apparatus for moving on water, a pair of elongated floats, each of said floats having a forward and a rear vertical socket, a pair of spaced parallel U-shaped vertical frames connecting and spacing said floats, the ends of one of said frames being positioned in the forward sockets and the ends of said other frame being positioned in the rear sockets, a seat swingably mounted on one frame and supported on the other frame, and apertured plates at the rear end of said floats, said apertured plates cooperating with the rear sockets in holding the ends of the frames when the frames are disposed longitudinally of the floats in their used position.

2. In an apparatus for moving on water, a pair of elongated floats, each of said floats having a forward and a rear vertical socket, a pair of spaced parallel U -shaped vertical frames conv necting and spacing said floats, the ends of one of said'frames being positioned in the forward sockets and the ends of'the other frame being positioned in the rear sockets, each of said frames including a horizonal portion, a, seat extending between the horizontal portions of said frames, U-shaped brackets secured to the under surface of said seat and embracing the horizontal portion of one frame to permit vertical swinging movement of the seat, and a pair of spaced parallel strips secured to the under surface of the seat and receiving the horizontal portion of the other frame therebetween.

HOMER L. ROOT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,344,225 Halbow June 22, 1920 1,443,133 Kelly Jan. 23, 1923 1,693,867 Reinwald Dec. 4, 1928 1,714,352 Echola May 21, 1929 1,859,178 Sprinkle May 17, 1932 2,052,240 Min Aug. 25, 1936 2,248,307 Richards et al. July 8, 1941 2,389,001 Schatz Nov. 13, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 44,844 Switzerland of 1908 186,437 Switzerland Dec. 1, 1936 20,338 Great Britain 1912 400,436 Italy Dec. 16, 1942 

